It's time to surrender and yet keep on fighting
by TheFirstFemaleMarauder
Summary: Lily Evans is attending Hogwarts, her 7th year. With the underlying threat of Voldemort in the background and a destroyed friendship she start making new friends, enemies and alliances. With all that aside she is constantly around one of the people she just can't stand; James Potter.
1. Chapter 1

_You know that moment when you have been arguing with someone about something and right in the middle of this fierce debate you realize that you've been wrong but instead of stopping to admit defeat you just continue to argue your point, just because you really don't want to lose. That's how it's been for me. For a year. Of course I've also had reasons to despise him a little still because, well, he hasn't changed THAT much and …_

"LILY COME DOWNSTAIRS THERE'S SOMEONE WAITING FOR YOU BY THE DOOR!" I winced. My mom might be a really nice person and have a lovely voice … but when she screamed not even the ghouls would stay close to awe at her because of their jealousy.

When I got downstairs my best friend Marlene McKinnon was waiting for me.

"You look surprised. Did you forget? We're going SHOPPING! Because last week we received our Hogwarts letters and they told us not just to buy the regular school supplies but a graduation-gown and a ball gown for the graduation ball! You even wrote me and said we should go shopping today!" Marlene exclaimed. That had been a week ago. I actually _had_ forgotten, mostly because I'd been thinking about the little note that came with the letter. James Potter was the Head Boy to my Head Girl. This, was a disaster.

"I did forget." I admitted.

"Then get ready because _we _are going!" Marlene shouted and started pushing me in the direction of the stairs.

Five minutes later we were inside the Leaky Cauldron in London. A trip that should've taken at least one hour with muggle means but only took fractions of a second with apparition.

First, we walked to Gringots. We had to change our Galleons into a large amount of pounds seeing as we were going shopping for clothes in the regular muggle stores.

After that we left through the Leaky Cauldron and into central London.

The rumor that Wizards don't wear regular clothes or go to regular stores is, as a matter of fact, false to the core. Marlene and I met several girls from our year in the stores. We decided to ditch the more common stores and go look for more expensive dresses elsewhere. In the end we came out from Banana Republic with a long ball gown each.

When we went inside Diagon Alley again we exchanged the last of our pounds into wizzarding money again.

The street was buzzing with people. There was only one week left of summer so everyone was here. The sun was shining bright, it was a hot day and all the doors to the stores were open (except for Eylops Owl Emporium) and people were hurrying in and out. Inside Flourish and Blotts it was packed. The shelves towering over us, people climbing on the shelves trying to get the right books down and almost dropping it on the heads of those below.

We made our way inside and started looking for our books. Just when we were about to leave I heard someone scream my name. I turned around, dreading who I'd find staring at me.

It was Alice Prewett, a tall scrawny girl with beautiful long brown hair and a dazzling smile who shared dorms with Marlene, me and two others.

"Lily! Marlene! It's been all summer! Why haven't we hung out?" She asked as we all hugged. This was the general question she asked at the end of every summer after not even writing us to arrange anything and if she did she'd cancel because of her boyfriend Frank. He was the main reason to why she never wrote in the first place. The three of us had been close once, but then she got together with Frank and our friendship crumbled.

"I don't know but it always seems to happen!" I exclaimed with a smile. It was a joke with an underlying meaning. She didn't care so neither did we.

We talked for a while and then Marlene and I ran off to finish our shopping and head back home.


	2. Chapter 2

I had both been longing and dreading this day. Longing because I was finally going to go home; to Hogwarts. And I'd been dreading it for three reasons.  
1: It would signal the beginning of the end of my 7th year at Hogwarts  
2: Severus would be at Hogwarts just waiting to pester me with his pointless apologies  
3: James Potter was Head Boy. Which meant that I'd have to spend an unhealthy amount of time around him. Marlene found this more amusing than she should've (I still don't understand how she could play Qudditch on his team and still _like _him. Seriously)  
"Lilly we'll really miss you!" My dad said and embraced me. He'd always smelled like newly roasted coffee and paper. It was a smell associated with love and security; one I always missed when I was gone. The first couple of years at Hogwarts I had brought one of his shirts with me so I wouldn't forget what he smelled like. He had noticed so I had stopped. But every year, no matter how many times I looked in my suitcase before I left the house he always managed to sneak down one of his shirts for me. It was a really sweet gesture only my dad would think of.  
My mom hugged me. She smelled of petunias and the smell was so penetrating that I felt nauseous. She had always preferred me over my sister Petunia, both my parents had actually. However for my mom's birthday Petunia bought mom a perfume, sentenced with the flower her name was inspired from. So my mom, feeling bad, had naturally begun wearing it every day just to ensure that Petunia didn't feel left out. She did anyway.  
"EVERYONE ON BOARD!" The train conductor screamed and a whistle blew somewhere on the platform.  
"Mom, let go. I need to board the train or I'll miss it! I'll come home for Christmas and I will write! Don't worry!" I said all out of breath as I tried to wriggle free from my mother's grasp. I bolted towards the train the second I was free and threw my trunk inside the nearest cart, then jumped on to the train my self. I almost didn't get on the train on time. Just like every other year previous.  
"Lily you always know how to make people notice you." Marlene said as she peeked out of her compartment. I smiled and made a little sigh, walked in to the compartment and heaved my trunk on to the shelf above the seats.  
"I know, it's the same as it's been the last 6 years. I gotta go now tho. I need to check on this years Prefects … and the new Head Boy." The last part I said through gritted teeth.  
James Potter was not the one I'd imagined would get appointed Head Boy. I had always had my bets on Remus Lupin. Or even Severus Snape! But no. Dumbledore just had to go and appoint the person whom I couldn't stand and who hadn't even been a Prefect before.

Thoughts were tumbling around in my mind as I made my way towards the front of the train. Where Professor McGonnagal was already taking attendance inside the prefect compartment. Great.  
"Right on time I see Ms. Evans." She greeted. I just nodded in her direction and sat down. I honestly didn't want to be Head Girl. Frankly, to follow the rules was just something I had applied onto my life when I was appointed a Prefect.

James Potter, who was already in the compartment when I came in, moved over to where I sat and stayed by my side all meeting. I appointed passwords to the houses, James Potter went over the rules – which he ought to know seeing as he probably broken them all – and the consequences of breaking them. I wanted to laugh really hard. Some Slytherins actually did and earned a stern look from Professor McGonnagal. The meeting proceeded with the more experienced students leaving with a list of duties and rounds and the new fifth years stayed so that James and I, mostly me, could brief them of the duties of a Prefect. I did all the talking and James the listening on this one. He was a rookie just like the others in the room.

The minute the meeting was over I wanted to run out the door. However James called my name, causing me to stop.  
"James?" I asked impatiently.  
"Ok so, we both know that this year will begin awkwardly seeing as I know nothing about the whole Prefect profession. I don't want us to fight all the time either, mostly because we have to spend a whole lot of time around each other, so I will try not to drive you into madness. But if I do, just know that I'm trying to get better." He looked at me. His hazel eyes so sincere behind his round spectacles. He ran a hand through his already messy hair then looked at me and gave me a lopsided grin and said: "with all that said, Lily Evans will you go out with me?" His former image ruined. I turned around and stormed out of the room, shouting a "never" over my shoulder as I hurried back to Marlene.

Marlene was snoring audibly when I opened the door to the compartment and sat down. To look busy I picked out a book, not looking which one it was, from my trunk and dove into the story.

* * *

I couldn't remember when I'd fallen asleep, but when I woke up we were already stopping. The doors to the train opened and I could hear and smell the familiarity of Hogsmead.  
I shook Marlene violently until she woke up and we made our way onto the platform, quickly claiming one of the carriages that moved by themselves. Alice Prewett, Frank Longbottom, Katie Hudson and Jessica Gold also entered our little cart. Together with the luggage we carried it was really crowded.  
Once we got up to the castle we all got seated at the Gryffindor table to await the feast. As if the boy had a radar, James Potter showed up and squeezed down next to me. He smiled at me mischievously.  
"What did you do?" I greeted with a tired voice.  
"You'll see." He said and smiled at me.

The loud voices in the hall died out as Professor McGonnagal walked into the Great Hall with the first years in tow. They were looking all around in awe of the spectacle that the Great Hall produced. A little girl was running along at the end, wrapped into what looked like Hagrid the groundkeeper's humungous coat.  
"I bet you a galleon she fell in." James whispered in my ear. I shook my head.  
"I know she did so the bet's off." I whispered back with a smile playing in the corners of my mouth

The sorting felt like it took forever, just like every year. The primary reason being that not one student inside the hall wasn't hungry. Then at last the feast began, after some wise words of wisdom from Headmaster Dumbledore.

At the end of the feast I had forgotten everything about James' mischievous smile. That bliss didn't last for long, because the second I stood up to leave the roof of the Hall exploded in colors leaving the message: "Dearest Lily, would you please go out with me? Love always, your James".  
_Aw, that's so sweet. Maybe … NO! But then again what if he's changed during the summer? Well I won't agree to it today anyway. He already asked me and I said no.  
_I took out my wand, directed it towards the roof and wrote back: "Not today Potter" he got nothing more but I could see the hope shining in his eyes.  
I walked out shaking my head and smiling. Only a few people saw that, including Marlene, who wouldn't let it go.

"YOU LIKE HIM NOW?!" Was the first thing she said after she'd dragged me into our dorm room and firmly shut it.  
"I don't know. I wouldn't say I fancy him or anything. He's just nice. He actually apologized to me on the train and told me to go easy on him this year because he'd actually try to change. So I mean, why not give him some hope? It might work out his favor or we'll just stay friends." I said, knowing I sounded delirious. Marlene stared at me and shook her head.  
"You'll be dating before Halloween." And with that she picked up her toiletries and went out the door to go to bathroom and get ready for bed.

* * *

**Please beautiful people out there reading my story, review and comment and follow and all that stuff. I'd love to hear your opinion. It's my first fanfic so don't judge me too hard ;)**


	3. Chapter 3

I was running through the castle with my hair, untidy, waving behind me like a fire. I was late. As of I was 30 minutes late to my very first class of the third week into term. It was with Professor McGonnagal. I was so screwed.

"I see you're 30 minutes late. Detention with me, after school." Was the greeting she gave me when I entered the classroom entirely out of breath. "I thought you'd be responsible this year seeing as you've been promoted to Head Girl." She continued. I stared at her. No way was she giving me that speech. She adored me! Or she had all years previously. Perhaps being late to my Prefect meeting _and_ her class wasn't giving her a good first impression of me as a Head Girl.

_Why are you late?_ James passed me a note.  
_Why do you care?_ I wrote back. I didn't get an answer to that thankfully. Because the truth was that none of the alarm-clocks in my dorm had gone off. Which was weird that five alarm-clocks just randomly decided to malfunction on the same night. We'd all smelled a prank in the air. Naturally I'd suspect James. However, because he's a guy he can't get up the stairs to the girls' tower. So our theory was trashed before tested and now we had no clue what had happened.

* * *

After my first class I ran back to my dorm to straighten out my hair. It was so tangled I couldn't even put it into a braid so I left it loose all day. Which earned me a lot of admiring looks from the opposite sex.

"You should leave your hair loose all the time Lilly, period." Marlene stated during lunch, when she'd noticed all the boys eating me alive with their eyes, as she descried it.  
"If it's going to be like this I'd rather dye it black or just shave it all off." I confessed.  
"No really, even your crush from last year, Amos Diggory, is looking at you with new eyes. I mean they all knew you were an amazing person and all that, just not exactly how beautiful you really can be. Not that you even tried ..." Marlene finished after scrutinizing my hair. She picked out her wand and did a spell that tidied it out. I could hear the boys gasp. _Seriously? Is this a joke?_

I looked down onto my plate as I thought and then I heard a voice I knew all too well.  
"Why did you leave your hair out? It's too pretty for everyone to see!" Severus said with his nasal voice.  
"It's not your hair, it's mine. The hair was never yours and it never will be. I never belonged to you, nor will I ever. We're not even friends anymore Severus so get out of here before I do something to your existence that I'll enjoy now and regret later when I'm in detention for it." I hissed back at him. I was glad no professor was present and that everyone else seemed to be busy with their own things, at last, to notice my little fight with Severus.

Marlene giggled next to me. I could always count on her to make situations more awkward than they already were. Snape shot her a nasty look and stalked off with his cloak flying behind him, making him look like a bat.

* * *

When I went back to Professor McGonnagal's office for my detention she wasn't done with her classes yet. So she made my detention to teach the students in her class about the history of transfiguration. It was a class filled with first-graders, which made it so much easier. At the parts where there were specific examples present I preformed the spells to "ooh" and "ahh" from the class. It was, by far, the best detention I'd ever had. McGonnagal was very pleased with me so she let me go after that.

* * *

Marlene looked at me with a devious glint in her blue eyes when I entered the Gryffindor common room.  
"What have you done?" I asked cautiously.  
"Not 'what _have _I done' it's 'what are you _about _to do'?" She answered with a smile that was widening as time progressed.  
"So tell me then!" I exclaimed after several seconds of silence.  
"I overheard Sirius Black bragging about his fantastic prank during dinner. A prank involving us and our alarm-clocks. I figure it's payback time. Let's do that exact thing to them, _and _something additional." She stated.  
"Well, no matter how they got in to our dorm or did that prank, we have to give back. Screw the rules; I've already been in a lot of trouble today. What could some more hurt?" I was smiling right back at her now. This could turn out great.

We were plotting all evening, actually we were plotting for ten minutes then laughing at the imaginary images of the panicked boys in the morning when they discovered how late they were.

The pranks we decided on had been inspired from my outburst during lunch about dyeing my hair. We were going to turn Peter's hair pink, James' hair be as not to make Professor McGonnagal suspect anything, Lupin's orange and let Sirius go, momentarily, bald. Not to talk about the fact that we'd transform their door into a wall and make them be late for class. The fight was on.

When Marlene and I were sure the boys were sleeping we put an invisibility spell on us and one that made us completely silent for one hour. Then we snuck into the Marauders' dorm. First we attacked their alarm-clocks. Then we took their hair, and last, we made sure to disguise the door entirely to a wall, spun their room around so that the door wouldn't be where they'd expect it to be. Then we tip-toed back to our dorm, giggling silently and crashed onto our beds. The morning to follow would be 100% hilarious.

Indeed we were right. It was our third week at Hogwarts, two and a half pranks had already been conducted by Gryffindors. It was a glorious start. The Marauders were late for their first class. And they came in running, because, let's face it, not even they will miss a class. The entire room went quiet at their arrival. Then Marlene and I burst out laughing and soon the entire room joined in. Including professor McGonnagal, giggling slightly.

"I swear I didn't do it!" I heard James exclaim as Sirius, Lupin and Peter yelled at him for being the culprit behind it all. Marlene and I laughed even harder. Our prank was brilliant. They didn't know it was us who did it, nor would they ever figure it out.

As the day progressed Sirius got more and more worried about his hair never growing back and it was thoroughly hilarious to watch. James was just confused. His whole face seemed to scream "what is going on?!"

* * *

James walked up to me where I was sitting and reading by the fireplace in the common room.  
"I know you did it. Why?" He demanded.  
"What?" I asked, feigning innocence.  
"Come on. The whole room smelled like vanilla when I woke up. You're the only one I know who uses perfume that smells like vanilla Lilly. So why did you do it?" He looked at me with his hazel eye. There was a glint of something hidden in there that I couldn't figure out.  
"Well, you guys screwed my entire dorm up yesterday, so we thought that some payback would be accurate. Besides, for the first time ever the Marauders has been given a taste of their own medicine. I think it was fair." I said back. I was only slightly disappointed that he'd figured it out but it didn't matter too much, the prank had still been carried out.  
"SIRIUS YOU OWE ME 30 GALLEONS. I TOLD YOU SHE'D GET BACK ON US!" James yelled up the stairs. A vulgar cuss-word could be heard from the top of the boys' stairs. "Anyway, glad to see you're pranking now. Even if it took you a while." James said with a wink.  
"I'm not entirely sure it's a good thing but, then again, it's only harmless pranking, no one got hurt. Except maybe Sirius' pride." I smiled towards James. I could actually understand why he'd been pranking throughout his years at Hogwarts. It was fun.  
"Well, they kept blaming me for this until they realized I was Head Boy so being mean to me would result in severe unpleasantness. Then they started looking for another culprit and Peter was the one who smelled the vanilla in our room. Then I figured out the rest." James said with a shrug.

To be honest I was surprised when he left me on the couch around an hour later. We'd talked about all things, ranging from classes, to pranks to the war going on outside the walls. However, not _once _had he asked me out. I was thrown back a little. It was a pleasant surprise. I went to bed that night with a smile on my face. _If even James Potter can change enough to become Head Boy and stop asking me out every time we have a conversation then we can probably become friends. Which, at the current time, with the war and everything, I wouldn't turn down._


End file.
